Chapter 9
Nine
HEIDI
Heidi had never laughed so hard in her life.
Jack was utterly entertaining and sweet, more than she had ever anticipated.
He treated her like she was a queen and made sure everyone knew that he was the lucky one.
In fact, one moment would forever stick with her – because it seemed so surreal.
When the waiter walked up to the table and turned to greet Jack, he immediately pointed at her.
“Ladies are first,” Jack tossed easily. “While I might be a ‘frequent flyer’ around these parts, I also know how lucky I am right now. Ladies first and we can chat in a bit. FYI, tell Lita that I was bragging about the queso to a connoisseur, so it better be good tonight,” – and smiled at Heidi. “Right?”
All afternoon, she was treated like a princess and waited on hand-and-foot.
If her glass was nearly empty, Jack flagged down a waiter.
If they got low on chips, he got up and grabbed a new basket by the bar, exchanging a few words with the bartender he obviously knew.
He kept the conversation rolling, kept talking about little things – little nothings, and finally she blurted out her curiosity.
“What’s with the house? And Mimi?” she asked quietly, watching him. “Were you married and got the house in the divorce? I just don’t understand any of this, you, or why you’d bother to take in a perfect stranger or…”
“Hang on,” he interrupted, looking slightly uncomfortable. “One question at a time, so I can answer them.”
She waited impatiently, wobbling her leg and tapping her foot under the table in a anxious manner. A part of her didn’t want to admit that she was nervous to hear his answers – but a bigger part needed to know those answers, because she was considering something completely crazy and off the wall.
“I’ve never married,” Jack admitted quietly, his eyes firmly planted on his hands as he rolled the cup between his palms absently. “I bought that place when Mimi was about to be forced into assisted living – and I needed a place of my own.”
“So you bought two houses – yours and Mimi’s?”
“Well, Mimi’s is supposed to be a mother-in-law suite.
There’s a reason I bought all that stuff at Home Depot today.
I own both buildings and an acre of land.
The previous owners were living in Mimi’s house – and let the other one fall apart over the years.
I’ve been working on fixing it up for two years now. ”
“Really?” Heidi started, shocked. “It doesn’t look that bad.”
“If you want the grand tour, you’re welcome to take a peek around…” he offered and then made a regretful smile. “I’m no handyman, but I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty – and it shows.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah,” he chuckled softly. “I’m starting to wonder if I’m making things worse.”
“Oh no…” she laughed, picking up her glass and taking a sip of tea. “How are you making it worse?”
“I get started on one project – and it snowballs,” he admitted. “I start replacing a ceiling fixture and part of the sheet rock comes down with it, so I have to replace it…”
“You’re kidding,” she interrupted, stunned.
“And it’s not simple sheet rock but rather plaster ceilings,” he chuckled, sharing a smile with her. “So now, during my spare time, I’m learning how to apply plaster and…”
“You’re not kidding,” she laughed, realizing it took a special person not to just throw up your hands in frustration. No, even when Jack got derailed abruptly, he went with the flow and got himself back on track.
“I wish I was somedays, because now I’m plastering a ceiling,” he continued, smiling.
“And the other night, I stopped when I saw a bare wire. Plastering, insulating, trying not to electrocute myself and hoping that when the house was wired it was done professionally – and not by someone like me – all because I wanted a brighter light so I could sand the floors when I eventually get to them.”
“I’m so sorry,” she admitted, sharing a smile with him. “What’s next?”
“Termite fumigation, I suppose,” he muttered but there was something in his expression, his voice, that told her he was teasing – and she cracked up laughing again.
“I’m not kidding. I’ve learned how to paint, plumb, drywall, do landscaping – even if it doesn’t look like it – and so the only thing I can think of that’s left would be termite fumigation.
I’m pretty certain when I start refinishing the wood floors, that is when I’ll find that new and fun-filled problem. ”
“I wouldn’t exactly call it ‘fun-filled’…” she replied, lips twitching as he made a dismayed expression on his face.
“Shame on me for wanting a nice place to bring a woman home to someday…” and they both hesitated. Him – like he couldn’t believe he’d said those words aloud – and her, who caught them immediately.
“You’re planning on things,” she breathed, stunned and shocked. “You’ve got a woman in mind and… and yet you’re here with me?”
“Now don’t you go jumpin’ to conclusions or anything,” he rushed out in a panic, reaching for her hand only for her to jerk it away.
Jack stiffened, drew himself up, and visibly composed himself before her as she stared at him, unsure what to think.
“There’s no one in my life, but I hope to change that someday – and I bought the most affordable place I could simply because I wanted Mimi to be independent for as long as possible. ”
“She seems okay…”
“I’ve picked her up a few times off the floor,” he admitted quietly in a hushed voice. “It’s pretty unsettling – which is why I always go by when I’m on patrol or stop by every evening.”
“And why you volunteered me to stay there,” she realized, putting it together – and he shrugged.
“It helps her, you… and me.”
Heidi nodded, realizing that he was speaking the truth even as painful as it was.
His grandmother needed help and it was getting to be a little too much for him to do alone – which is why he’d invited her to stay there.
He was providing in the hopes that she would get along well with his grandmother… and stay.
Not for himself.
Not because he was really interested…
But for Mimi’s care – and Mimi had asked her to stay as well, offering her the moon and stars during their hushed conversation that left her completely boggled.
“So,” she hesitated and then looked at him again, “this isn’t a date – at all. You are wanting me to remain here for a while to help out with your grandmother… and that’s it, isn’t it?”
“I thought you didn’t want this to be a date,” he said slowly in a careful measured voice. “If that’s not the case, just say the word.”
“I’m not going to tell you that this should be a date,” she sputtered, indignant. “That’s not how dating works. A guy asks the woman out – and newsflash – the woman doesn’t have to ever ask whether it is or isn’t a date.”
He hesitated and she continued, needling him and craving the last word in this conversation.
“And this is definitely not a date. I’m so tired of the stupid mind games and the ‘will he’ or ‘won’t he’ crap that men play.
We’ve been tiptoeing around this for hours now and I thought we had this hashed out already… ”
“We did.”
“And?”
“It’s not a date,” he said quietly and held up his hand for the check. Was it her imagination or did he have a greenish-pale tint to his tanned skin. He looked like he could be sick at any moment – and she certainly felt that way hearing his words.
“Fine,” she said weakly, looking away.
This was probably the best – and worst – date (that wasn’t a date) that she’d ever been on. One moment she felt like she was on a pedestal and the next, an F-5 tornado had literally bowled her over and dumped her like a piece of offal in the trash… several states away.
Which had her rethinking the entire conversation with Mimi again.
Twenty minutes later, after an unpleasant an uncomfortable silent ride back to Mimi’s house, Heidi avoided looking at Jack the entire time. No, she stared straight ahead and replayed that hushed conversation with Mimi in her head… thinking.
“Why don’t you stay here…”
“Because ‘here’ doesn’t have Wi-Fi signal.”
“There’s more to life than what’s on your cell phone.”
“I know that.”
“Then why did you leave home?”
“It’s personal.”
“Where are you going?”
“That’s personal too.”
“You know what that sounds like?” Mimi asked, squinting. “Denial.”
“I’m not denying anything.”
“And I’m not stupid,” Mimi chuckled, giving her a quick squeeze despite her gnarled hands.
The woman smelled like baby powder and for a moment, her mind flashed wondering what it was like to grow up here with her for a doting grandparent.
Jack never mentioned his parents, so Heidi assumed the worst and never brought it up to him or Mimi.
“I’m betting you are looking for a new place, a fresh start, and you’ve been traveling for a bit…
so I’m also willing to gamble that you’re running out of money soon. ”
Heidi just drew back and stared at the woman, stunned.
It was true – all of it. She wanted a place that felt like home, where she felt she could settle down and make a name for herself, but traveling was expensive.
Hotels sucked up quite a bit of her savings, fuel was pricey, she had bills on autopay, and yes…
her funds were dwindling. She couldn’t afford a a bunch of repairs on her car, which is why she bit off Jack’s head in the very beginning.
A part of her was mentally freaking out because she couldn’t get a signal, which meant she couldn’t check her account and was hoping to do so privately while in town… and Jack - was Jack.
Something broken internally, like a dam on the verge of washing out a valley mentally in her head – and Mimi immediately shushed her, smiling softly and gently in only the way a grandmother could.
Understanding, compassion, acknowledgment, wisdom, and recognition were nearly glowing in those weathered eyes that had seen so much over the years.